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Distant Star
China in 1923 was a far cry from the exotic land Chloe Cavanaugh envisioned; but Chloe was married to the Chicago Times' most famous correspondent, and this squalid, teeming land was her new home.
Yet the winds of change were blowing the sleeping giant of revolution was awakening. Chloe befriends Madame Sun, wife of Sun Yat-sen, the people's hero, who is fighting for modernization and for a government that will finally free China from feudalism. Chloe's friendship with Madame Sun will lead her to realize her own dreams -- as a famous own right. and as a woman whose soul is ignited by four unique men.
From the violent cities Shanghai and Canton, to the war-torn mountains from the private tables of Chiang Kai-shek. to the bitter struggle of a country at Chloe grows from being a naive girl in a strange, forbidden land being a courageous woman, whose ideals, enthusiasm. and to a land, a people, and the sweet calling of her heart lead her on a breathless odyssey.
Yet the winds of change were blowing the sleeping giant of revolution was awakening. Chloe befriends Madame Sun, wife of Sun Yat-sen, the people's hero, who is fighting for modernization and for a government that will finally free China from feudalism. Chloe's friendship with Madame Sun will lead her to realize her own dreams -- as a famous own right. and as a woman whose soul is ignited by four unique men.
From the violent cities Shanghai and Canton, to the war-torn mountains from the private tables of Chiang Kai-shek. to the bitter struggle of a country at Chloe grows from being a naive girl in a strange, forbidden land being a courageous woman, whose ideals, enthusiasm. and to a land, a people, and the sweet calling of her heart lead her on a breathless odyssey.
451 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
6 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Bickmore
29 books36 followersBARBARA BICKMORE wrote her first short story at seven and has been writing ever since. Her dream to become a published writer came true when EAST OF THE SUN was published in 1988. As her heroines grow they become women who make a difference and don't settle for living life the way society dictates. Readers will experience sorrow, pain, happiness, romance, love and will enjoy growing with the heroines as they rise to life's challenges.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 27, 2021
My overall favorite book of all times
Barbara, thank you for this journey. Your books shaped me throughout my youth and I came back for the stories many times afterwards. I love your brilliant storytelling, your wonderful characters stay with me and in my heart always.
Barbara, thank you for this journey. Your books shaped me throughout my youth and I came back for the stories many times afterwards. I love your brilliant storytelling, your wonderful characters stay with me and in my heart always.
June 14, 2008
This author is my Mother-in-law's favorite... strong female character and history lesson. What's not to love?
March 15, 2025
I don't remember when I read this book but it was before Goodreads....I liked it, as I do all of her
books, except one that took place in OR.
books, except one that took place in OR.
March 9, 2021
I had read and really liked a couple of Bickmore's novels back in the 1990s and was delighted to find this one in my 'stash'....read all 450 pages in 2 days.....couldn't put it down.
Chloe Cavanaugh is an amazing woman who lives in a small town in New York but wants to escape the life of most women in the 1920s....work at one of only a few occupations for women, marry, have children and look after the family in every way, join women's groups, do volunteer work in her community, etc.
She longed for adventure, a different life altogether and she certainly found that when she married Slade, a famous foreign reporter for a leading Chicago newspaper. Chloe knows of this paper because her best friend Suzi's father is the publisher, a man she greatly admires.
On her first day in China in 1923 as a new bride, she witnesses a group of Chinese peasants lined up in order and beheaded by a warlord with a huge machete.....but she witnesses many more horrible deaths and torture in the very turbulent times of China's struggle with revolutions, communism, wars, and leaders trying to unite the millions of people who are mostly uneducated, work like animals, have never been out of their village and knew nothing but poverty, unreasonably taxed by warlords, little food, many deaths, hard work, many children and no hope. Even in the 1920's Japan was fighting for land in China which led to many wars adding to the hardships for the people.
Along with a beautiful story of love and romance for Chloe with 4 very different men, there is so much true history involved so that last evening I read as much as I could of Chiang Kai-Shek and his domination over China for over 40 years. When Dr Sun, who dreamed of a united China asked the western world, mainly the USA, to help them with his quest, President Coolidge waved it away so the Russians came to China's aid with money, food, weapons and communism....this fact about Coolidge didn't come to light to the world until 67 years later...it makes one wonder what might have happened to China and the world in general if the USA had helped.
Chloe Cavanaugh is an amazing woman who lives in a small town in New York but wants to escape the life of most women in the 1920s....work at one of only a few occupations for women, marry, have children and look after the family in every way, join women's groups, do volunteer work in her community, etc.
She longed for adventure, a different life altogether and she certainly found that when she married Slade, a famous foreign reporter for a leading Chicago newspaper. Chloe knows of this paper because her best friend Suzi's father is the publisher, a man she greatly admires.
On her first day in China in 1923 as a new bride, she witnesses a group of Chinese peasants lined up in order and beheaded by a warlord with a huge machete.....but she witnesses many more horrible deaths and torture in the very turbulent times of China's struggle with revolutions, communism, wars, and leaders trying to unite the millions of people who are mostly uneducated, work like animals, have never been out of their village and knew nothing but poverty, unreasonably taxed by warlords, little food, many deaths, hard work, many children and no hope. Even in the 1920's Japan was fighting for land in China which led to many wars adding to the hardships for the people.
Along with a beautiful story of love and romance for Chloe with 4 very different men, there is so much true history involved so that last evening I read as much as I could of Chiang Kai-Shek and his domination over China for over 40 years. When Dr Sun, who dreamed of a united China asked the western world, mainly the USA, to help them with his quest, President Coolidge waved it away so the Russians came to China's aid with money, food, weapons and communism....this fact about Coolidge didn't come to light to the world until 67 years later...it makes one wonder what might have happened to China and the world in general if the USA had helped.
June 6, 2011
i must admit that at first i thought this was going to be a cheezy love story (the cover reminded me of some romance novel), but i must say this was an incredible book. i couldn't put it down. it was incredibly satisfying and full of important Chinese history. as a person who lived over a year in China i found it all extremely fascinating and even though it was China in the 20 and 30s i could still relate to some of the behavior of the Chinese people and even the foreigners. i am extremely impressed how author, Barbara Bickmore was able to weave so many true accounts of these famous people of China into one book. As she mentions in her afterward, although the main characters are fictional they too carry with them true events of journalists and activists. for anyone that is interested in the history of China at one of their most crucial points in history or anyone who just wants to read an action filled, fact filled book i highly recommend this book!
August 22, 2011
This book was fantastic, I couldn't put it down. A wonderful love story unfolds during very turbulent time in Chinese history. For any woman who loves historical fiction this is a must read. Barbara Bickmore is by far one of my favorite writers. Just when you think the book can give you no more Bickmore injects another twist and the novel continues on. Love this book!
March 28, 2021
Älskar! Bästa boken jag läst.
January 5, 2022
Læst på dansk, fjerne stjerner 1 og 2
July 9, 2024
Historical-romance in China 1923-1949
October 22, 2024
A gift from my daughter from kindergarten. She got it at Santa's workshop at her elementary school library because she knew I loved to read. Became a favorite & a beautiful read.
January 1, 2026
Absolutely beautiful! I loved it so much
July 2, 2016
En spændende historisk fiktion med stræke kvindelige roller ..alleligvel tog det mig mere end 150 sider til jeg virkelig var fanget af bogen ...nogle gange synes jge også der var for meget ..
Jeg må ærligt indrømme at jeg intet vidste om kina eller dens historie eller kultur ..så det var som at drage ind i en helt ny verden ...
Jeg synes det er så ironisk at Slade der kommer for et civiliseret land i sidste ende tænker som de fleste kinesiske mænd som de kritisere, vælger en kinesisk kvinde ..der kun er der for at behage ham og hans lyster og aldrig siger ham imod eller har sin egen mening ..fordi han altid skal være den betydningsfulde ...ÅÅhh jeg hader det så meget ..
tilgengæld kan jeg rigtig godt lide General Lu-Tang ..hvordan han ændret sig gennem bogen ..hvordan han begynder at se verden på en anden måde ..man kan godt se at han ikke altid er glad for det ..nogle gange er det svært og slet ikke til at forstå for ham ..men de fleste gange er han villig til at prøve ..
men det er forfærdeligt hvordan mænd (jeg tror ikke det kun vat sådan i Kina ) tænker på kvinder og voldtægt lige præcis .." det efterlader ingen ar " ! siger han
Det er noget af det værste jeg har hørt ..
Jeg må ærligt indrømme at jeg intet vidste om kina eller dens historie eller kultur ..så det var som at drage ind i en helt ny verden ...
Jeg synes det er så ironisk at Slade der kommer for et civiliseret land i sidste ende tænker som de fleste kinesiske mænd som de kritisere, vælger en kinesisk kvinde ..der kun er der for at behage ham og hans lyster og aldrig siger ham imod eller har sin egen mening ..fordi han altid skal være den betydningsfulde ...ÅÅhh jeg hader det så meget ..
tilgengæld kan jeg rigtig godt lide General Lu-Tang ..hvordan han ændret sig gennem bogen ..hvordan han begynder at se verden på en anden måde ..man kan godt se at han ikke altid er glad for det ..nogle gange er det svært og slet ikke til at forstå for ham ..men de fleste gange er han villig til at prøve ..
men det er forfærdeligt hvordan mænd (jeg tror ikke det kun vat sådan i Kina ) tænker på kvinder og voldtægt lige præcis .." det efterlader ingen ar " ! siger han
Det er noget af det værste jeg har hørt ..
November 21, 2016
This book took me a while to get into, since I had trouble accepting the narrative -- An early, young feminist with the pre-programmed sexist mindset of the 1920s... I rolled my eyes a lot.
Around page 100 the book really took off and became a solid and engaging read. I loved learning about 1920s/30s Chinese politics and the revolution, and the steamy scenes were well-written.
If you can get through the first 100 pages, it's well worth it.
Around page 100 the book really took off and became a solid and engaging read. I loved learning about 1920s/30s Chinese politics and the revolution, and the steamy scenes were well-written.
If you can get through the first 100 pages, it's well worth it.
July 5, 2021
Het is alweer een tijd geleden dat ik dit boek heb gelezen, het is nog steeds één van mijn favorieten. Eigenlijk was ik al afgehaakt na het zien van de omslag (ik was bang voor een suikerzoet liefdesverhaal) maar dat is het zeker niet! Dit boek heeft de perfecte balans tussen avontuur, romantiek, geschiedenis en spanning. Zeker een aanrader!
May 2, 2013
Review to follow...
February 27, 2009
This is a saga about China. I enjoyed it! :)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews